Green Bay is the third-largest city in the state of Wisconsin, after Milwaukee and Madison. It is also the county seat of Brown County. The city is located on the west shore of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the head of the Fox River. The population of Green Bay is 104,057, and the metropolitan area is home to more than 300,000 people.
The economy of Green Bay is diverse and includes manufacturing, healthcare, education, and tourism. The city is home to several large companies, including Kimberly-Clark, KI, and Schreiber Foods. Green Bay is also the home of the Green Bay Packers, the NFL team that has won more championships than any other team in the league.
Small businesses are a vital part of the Green Bay economy, accounting for more than half of all businesses in the city. The most popular sectors for small businesses in Green Bay are retail, food and beverage, and healthcare. The city offers a variety of resources to help small businesses succeed, including the Green Bay Small Business Development Center and the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Small Business Center.
Comparing SBA loan types in Green Bay
Three SBA programs come up most often for Green Bay, Wisconsin businesses, and they do different jobs.
SBA 7(a) loan: program overview
Maximum loan
$5 million (sba.gov, fetched 2026-07-24)
What it funds
Working capital, equipment, owner-occupied commercial real estate, refinancing business debt, and business acquisition.
Who lends
Participating banks and non-bank lenders. The SBA guarantees a portion of the loan; it does not lend directly to borrowers.
Rate structure
Negotiated between lender and borrower, capped at the SBA maximum. Most 7(a) loans price off the WSJ prime rate plus a spread.
Personal guaranty
Required from every owner of 20% or more of the business (13 CFR 120.160(a)).
Program facts confirmed against sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/7a-loans on Jul 24, 2026. Confirm current fees and maximum rates with your lender before relying on them.
SBA 504 loan: program overview
Maximum loan
$5.5 million per the SBA-backed debenture (sba.gov, fetched 2026-07-24). Total project size can be larger because a bank funds the first mortgage alongside it.
What it funds
Major fixed assets: owner-occupied commercial real estate and long-life machinery and equipment. Not working capital or inventory.
Structure
A conventional first-mortgage lender, a Certified Development Company holding the SBA-backed second, and a borrower down payment.
Rate
The CDC portion is fixed for the full term and set at the monthly debenture sale.
Program facts confirmed against sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/504-loans on Jul 24, 2026.
SBA Express: program overview
What it is
A delivery method inside the 7(a) program. The lender uses its own forms and procedures and gets an accelerated SBA response, in exchange for a lower SBA guarantee percentage than Standard 7(a).
What it funds
The same uses as 7(a), including revolving lines of credit, which Standard 7(a) term loans do not offer.
Trade-off
Faster turnaround and lighter paperwork, against a smaller guaranteed portion, which some lenders price for.
Current SBA Express maximum loan size and guarantee percentage are set by SBA notice and change. Confirm them on sba.gov or with your lender; this site does not publish an unverified figure.
Small business loans available in Green Bay
An SBA 7(a) loan made to a Green Bay, Wisconsin business is made by a participating lender, not by the SBA.
The lender underwrites it, sets the rate within the SBA maximum, and services it. What varies locally is
which lenders are active, not the program rules.